Greek column pendant

    Something about this pendant reminds me of an ancient column.  It doesn't look like any column that I use to teach to my students.  It's not Doric, Ionic or Corinthian.  It's just my own version and  I finally got a decent photo of it, so I though I'd share.  

To the moon Alice

     My middle grandson (won't be able to say that much longer) loves bananas.  I always make sure there are bananas here when he's here.  One day he ate five bananas.  He had three when he was here yesterday.

    There is a poster of the moon and all it's craters, on the wall over my computer.  It was given to me as a retirement gift from another retired art teacher.  She said it meant that I could go anywhere and do anything now that I was retired.  

    Last year when he was two, my banana loving grandson recognized it as the moon.  Really surprised me, because it is an actual map of the moon from Rand McNally.  But he knew that.  Where he learned it I don't know.  Yesterday as we were sitting at the computer, he again told me that the poster was a picture of the moon.  So we discussed how he could see the moon at night and how bright and round it was.  I told him that sometimes the moon looked different and wasn't round.  As I was trying to think of a way to describe a crescent moon, he made it easy for me.  He said, "Grandma, sometimes it looks like a banana."   

Education bracelet

     Everyday I wear a charm bracelet that I made of metal clay.   When I made it, I didn't plan on it being an example of different clay techniques; but that is what it has turned out to be.  I call it my education bracelet, and I don't dare not wear it.  I've used it so many times to show someone what I'm talking about.  It is so much easier to show someone than tell them.  Every time I try something new, a charm is added to my bracelet

    Here is a picture of the bracelet before PhotoShop. Thank goodness for Photoshop (since I take such lousy pictures!).... not that it is a whole lot better, but at least it looks more like silver now.  

Waste not.... Want not

       Metal clay is so politically correct because it is "green."  Silver is recycled and put into a binder then made into jewelry.

    The nice thing about metal clay..... nothing is ever wasted.  Sand the green ware and save the sanding to be turned into metal clay paste.  Dried up clay?  Add a few holes, a little water, leave sit over night and knead back into lump clay.  Don't like what you made?  Add some more, re-fire and try again; over and over if need be.  

   I've got lots of metal clay pieces I don't like or don't know what to do with.  They sit in a little drawer of my jewelry box, waiting for a spark of inspiration to turn them into something I do like.  

    My very first attempt at metal clay was at an art conference years ago.  We had a two hour workshop which included a one hour demonstration.  Needless to say my first attempt was pretty shaky.  I expected it to act like ceramic clay.  It didn't.  I expected it to stay moist as I worked with it.  It didn't.  I panicked and my first piece was pretty scary.  It was thin.  The bail kept breaking off on the corners.  The back looked pieced together (badly pieced together.)  There were cracks everywhere.  But I brought it home and hung on to it.  Just last summer I finally decided to pull it out and do something with it.  I like it now and actually wear it.  The back got covered with a round piece.  I broke extra pieces off the bail until only the sturdy parts remained.  I added a round element that was molded from a button. Combine that with beads and a citrine drop and the piece now gets compliments.  (Although the picture isn't too good....darn!)

   My latest cover up was a pendant I was making for a commission.  (Remember I always make more than I need.)  In the process of sanding, I managed to break off some letters on the pendant and wasn't able to use it as is.  This save was a much easier fix than my first piece.  I took a pointed tool and hammered around the inside edge of the pendant to give it texture.  Then I pasted on a little frog that I had molded this summer and re-fired.   Add some jade beads (since Kermit is green) and voila, another save.  

   I use the scraps from the paper clay to create my negative space pieces.  And when those get too small, I chop them up and roll paste covered beads in them for a sparkle effect.

   Waste not..... want not.  Especially at the price of silver!

Production mode

   For the past several months I have been in production mode; trying to get enough inventory for the events at the studio.  It is good to get lots done, but it keeps me from really making art.  It just dawned on me yesterday, that the holidays are over and the slow months are coming up.  So, I pulled out my sketchbook and started to look over the many ideas I've sketched out over the past year.  Now, I can work on some really unique pieces (I hope!)  I've actually only made a couple of things from my sketchbook.  Most everything else was a result of playing and experimenting with the clay.  

   So this is my New Year's resolution.  (I print it here for all to see so I have to do it!)  I will sketch every day in my sketch book and create work only from my sketches for the next three (cold and wintry) months.    I will make something worth entering into a contest and enter it.   The worst that could happen is it gets rejected.    And I will post my work here for you to see and critique.

   Oh, and the other resolution?  I've lost 3.3 lbs. so far.  

    

One of a kind

    Andy Warhol was a well known artist from Pittsburgh, Pa.  People know what he did but probably don't know why he did the kind of art he is famous for.  His art was a comment on our society.  One of his purposes was to show us how satisfied we are to have what everyone else has; to be a society that wants more at the expense of uniqueness and individuality.  

   In the late 60's (there I go dating myself again), there was a song called "Little Boxes" sung by Pete Seeger that also addresses the "sameness" that our society is satisfied with.  It was about houses on a hillside made of ticky tacky and all the same.  (I think about this song, every time I drive by a development of expensive houses that pretty much all look the same.) 

   Anyway the gist of this post is to point out the advantages of buying directly from an artist or craftsman.  Of course one of those advantages is getting something unique (unlike jewelry from QVC).  One of my forum members wrote up an article about it and I wanted to direct you to that article.  Here it is http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-Buy-From-A-Designer.  Just copy the link and paste it into your browser.  

   I'll keep this post short, although this is something I could go on and on about.  Don't get me started.

Mrs. Puff

   Out of the mouth of babes.  Once again my oldest grandson has me back to the gym.  At Thanksgiving he was talking in the voice of Sponge Bob Squarepants.  My son in law pointed that out to him and was calling him Sponge Bob.  So the grandson decided that his brother was Patrick and that I was Mrs. Puff.  His reasoning;  Mrs. Puff has a big body and so do I.  I guess that's better than being Sandy.  She's a squirrel (although sometimes I'm a little squirrely!) 

Lentil beads

   Recently I've had a thing for making lentil beads; all sizes of lentil beads.  I've made big ones and baby ones and they are all fun.  I don't know what it is about them but they just appeal to me in a big way.  My Jealous Heart pendant was the first lentil bead I ever made. (it can be seen in an earlier post.) It is an inch and a quarter in diameter; my biggest.  Lately they've been getting smaller.  My last two were 5/8 ".  

   The beads are made by drying the cut-out clay circles over a domed form.  The bigger beads are dried over a light bulb stuck into a styrofoam glass to keep it up right.  I bought some spherical rubber molds in three different sizes and the small mold is what I used for my smaller beads.  One of the guild members brought a sheet of rounded candy molds to the November meeting and let us cut several molds off.  Those worked great for small beads too.   My friend Sarah also said the white domed tabs inside of juice cartons works well.   Of course all of these need to be oiled first so the clay doesn't stick.  

  When the circles are dry, the back sides are run over sandpaper to level them and create a flat surface for the paste.  The next step is just to paste the two circles together and you have the bead.

  There are various ways to ready the bead for hanging.  A bail can be added, a jump ring can be imbedded in one side, or it can be drilled.  Drilling can be from top to bottom or from side to side.  If drilling from side to side, make sure the holes are above the center and they will have to be elongated a little.  Test the holes out before firing, by inserting a wire through the bead.  That way if anything needs adjusted, it will be easier to do.  

   I'll be exploring the lentil bead further in a class I'm teaching on the 17th of this month.  

Will post all those new little babies here for everyone to see.  

Arrowmont Retreat

     The annual conference  this year is hosted by Art Clay Silver and is being held in the Chicago area in mid July.  I haven't been to a conference hosted by ACS but I've talked to someone who went to the last one in Las Vegas.  They said it was outstanding. 

   I did make it to the PMC Conference last July at Purdue University in Indiana.  I have nothing to compare it to except the many art conferences I've attended over the years.  Based on those conferences, the PMC Conference was outstanding.

  Since these things are pretty pricey I can only attend one such event a year.   PMC Connection is hosting a retreat at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg TN, April 27 - May 1.  Being in love with that whole area (been there probably eight times, at least) and always wanting to take a class at Arrowmont, the retreat won out.  The class offerings are numerous and listed on www.pmcconnection.com and also www.pmcsupply.com (I think.... will check that one out.)

Besides the wonderful area, there are rumors flying that Arrowmont will be sold and will no longer exist.  (Rumors say it will be torn down for more tourist attractions..... just what they need.)  So, I wanted to be able to get there before it is gone.

  I'm taking a 3 day earring extravaganza class with Linda Kline.  This class is full of a variety of techniques, so it will be like getting several classes in one.    My second class is figure (or is it face) sculptures with Vera Lightstone.  I went to her demo at the conference last year and just fell in love with the little lady.  She is so cool.  I told my friends right then that I would love to take a class from her.  (And I am!!!)  On Friday of that week I am taking a polymer/metal clay class to find out how to add polymer to my work.  I taught polymer clay to my high school students, so that should give me a little heads up in the class.  All in all it is going to be an exciting week.

   To add to the fun, I get to meet up with my friends from my Certification classes as we are renting a townhouse together.  If it works like last year,  I won't be getting much sleep.  In the evenings we all shared our individual expertise and I came home with so much more information than I paid for. 

    If you are going to Arrowmont, give me a heads up.  I'll look for you.